The subject embodiments relate to the tracking and monitoring of health statistics and behaviors, particularly relating to various devices for tracking and monitoring health statistics and behaviors. In particular, the embodiments relate to a connected health care system that allows for data transfer between multiple platforms and devices.
Dental plaque is a biofilm that forms naturally on teeth between brushing and dental visits. Dental plaque can be a precursor to more severe oral health problems including: dental caries, tooth decay, gingivitis, and chronic periodontitis. The occurrence of dental caries is one of the largest health epidemics in the world and is the most common chronic childhood disease in the United States. Likewise, gingivitis and dental calculus are two of the most common systemic diseases of the body. It is desirable to more effectively remove dental plaque early stage as a preventive measure against more serious disease states. The most common preventive measure implemented to control the formation of dental plaque is the toothbrush.
Additionally, a person spends a significant amount of time each day just preparing for the day. Currently, this time provides little advantage beyond hygiene and cosmetic purposes. Often, a person spends much of this time positioned standing in front of a bathroom sink or other item such that an opportunity to measure health statistics is provided since the user is standing still for an amount of time. Current methods for collecting health statistics as part of the daily routine are largely nonexistent or require the user to deliberately step on a scale to obtain weight and possible body fat percentage.
Further, current diagnostic methods include blood analysis, biopsy, and other large scale tests, which all cause considerable discomfort to the patient. Blood analysis requires the drawing of blood with the use of a hypodermic needle. Biopsy requires the removal of tissue from the suspected affected area. Current diagnostic methods also require significant amounts of time to obtain results with some tests taking multiple days or even weeks to complete. Often, this requires a patient to visit a doctor's office for the initial sample collection and again to obtain the results. Collection of samples often requires the expertise of a medical practitioner, which is costly. Evaluation of samples is often completed in a sophisticated laboratory, which is also very costly.
Consequently, medical practitioners and patients are in need of an adequate health care system for tracking and monitoring health statistics and behaviors. Moreover, medical practitioners and patients are in need of a quicker method of diagnosing diseases, disorders, and conditions. Further, current methods are limiting in both the health statistics that are measured and the passive nature of data collection. Consequently, a connected health care system with various devices for tracking and monitoring health statistics and behaviors is desirable for medical practitioners, patients, and the health care industry.